Safran and BEL forge partnership for manufacturing HAMMER weapon in India

Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics & Defense, France have signed a MoU to create a joint venture for manufacturing, customising, sales and maintenance of HAMMER, a precision guided air-to-ground weapon, in India.

HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a combat-proven weapon system known for its high accuracy and modular design making it adaptable for multiple platforms including the Rafale and LCA Tejas.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by K V Suresh Kumar, Director (Marketing) of BEL, and Alexandre Ziegler, Executive Vice President of Safran Electronics & Defense, in the presence of Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of BEL, Franck Saudo, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense at Aero India on Tuesday.

"The proposed joint venture between BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense will be a major step toward strengthening India's capabilities in defense manufacturing and achieving self-reliance in advanced weapon systems. It will localise HAMMER production, enable development of future variants and support the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative by reducing import dependence," BEL's CMD Manoj Jain said.

The collaboration will facilitate technology transfer and create opportunities for Indian industries, especially SMEs and position India as a global hub for smart ammunitions production, he said.

As part of this partnership, BEL and Safran Electronics & Defense also plan to establish a Center of Excellence aimed at enhancing India's Defence capabilities. This center will bolster joint industrial activities in areas such as manufacturing, engineering, and associated services such as operational maintenance, repairs, and overhauls of optronics and navigation equipment for the Indian armed forces, the companies said in a joint release.

Safran Electronics & Defense will bring its expertise by implementing a knowledge transfer programme. The transfer of production will happen in a phased manner with BEL leading final assembly, testing and quality assurance.

This strategic collaboration which is in sync with the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative will facilitate the creation of a state of-the-art production facility in India, making the country a key hub for advanced smart munitions. It will reduce dependency on imports and strengthen India's self-reliance and operational readiness in Defence.

"This joint venture partnership with BEL marks an important milestone for Safran Electronics & Defense. By creating this center of excellence combining the best of Safran with the best of BEL in smart precision guided munitions, we are supporting the Government's Make in India programme, as well as strengthening both India's sovereign defense capabilities and Safran's industrial presence in India," Franck Saudo, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense said.